US lawmakers on Thursday will question executives of two major Chinese technology companies as part of a congressional probe into whether those firms’ ambitions to carve out a bigger niche in the American market pose a threat to national security.

The US once sheltered a Catholic cardinal in its Budapest embassy for 15 years after granting him asylum from Hungary's then-communist rulers. So there is irony to be found in the decision by Ecuador, which is aligned with Venezuela and Cuba against the US, to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who remains holed up in its London embassy.

Hong Kong has a reputation for being a safe place. Any modern aid to effective law enforcement that helps our police keep it that way is to be welcomed, as long as respect is shown for the rights and freedoms we value just as much as our safety.

Frontline police officers in Hong Kong will be fitted with body-cameras after recent complaints about their handling of demonstrators.

As part of a three-month trial, an undisclosed number of officers in the specialist police tactical unit and key Kowloon West emergency units will be fitted with the mini-cameras as early as this week.

Police are changing the way they deal with the media after fierce criticism of their actions during last year's visit by Vice-Premier Li Keqiang and accusations of heavy-handed treatment of journalists since Andy Tsang Wai-hung became head of the force 15 months ago.